Foundation for movable guns.



W. HEILEMANN & H. KANONENBERG.

FOUNDATION FOR MOVABLE GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7. I912.

srarns FATE WALTER HEILEMANN AND HEINRICH KANONENBERG, 0F ESSEN-ON-THE-RUHR, GER- MANY, ASSIGNORS T0 FRIED. KRUPP AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, OF ESSEN-ON-THE- HUI-IR, GERMANY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1915.

Application filed May 7, 1912. Serial No. 695,688.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WVALTER HEILEMANN and HEINRICH KANONENBERG, residing at Essen-on-theRuhr, Germany, both subjects of the Emperor of Germany, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Foundations for Movable Guns, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide a foundation for movable guns which permits of training the guns within comparatively large limits.

In the accompanying drawing one embodiment of this invention is illustrated and Figure 1 shows a side view of the foundation, and the parts of a wheeled gun carriage that have to do with the invention, the carriage being partly shown in section; Fig. 2 a plan view of F ig. 1 partly in section; Fig. 3 a front view of Fig. 1 and partly in section along line 83 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 a section along line H of Fig. 2 in larger scale.

In a socket on the trail-end of the undercarriage A is carried a pivot b of a spade so that the carriage may be moved around the pivot b of the spade which is buried in the ground. The under-carriage A supports a top carriage N which is provided with bearings n for the horizontal trunnions of the cradle, which top carriage is constructed to be trained sidewise around the aXis of a vertical pivot 11?. For training the top carriage relative to the under carriage a train' ing gear is provided, which is not shown on the drawing, as it may be constructed in any known manner.

In order to facilitate the training of the gun carriage around the pivot If, a small truck D D is provided for each wheel C of the carriage, which trucks runon a track E F. The trucks D D are constructed of U- shaped shoes D which have rollers D on the path (Z of which the carriage wheels may rest. The track for the trucks D D consist of a large numberof members E, each one of which carries a piece of rail F for the rollers D of the trucks D D The members E are box-shaped, open on the bottom side, and made like circular sectors, so that they may penetrate into the ground with their side walls. The latches c serve as detachable connections between the members E, see Figs. 2 and 4, which latches engage in notches e see Figs. 1 and 4, in the side walls of the members. As will be seen from Fig. i, the members E are not rigidly connected by means of the latches 6 but rather linked together, so that all the members which are coupled together might be able to penetrate into the uneven ground. On the side of the members E which is adj acent to the trail spade B, when the foundation is being used, are situated eyelets 6 see Figs. 1 and 2, wherein chains G, see particularly Fig. 2, may be hooked. These chains are intended to connect the foundation with the trail spade B. The rail pieces F are curved in a circle, the radius of which corresponds to the distance between the axis of the pivot b to that point of the track where the carriage wheel C rests, and which is situated perpendicularly below the wheel aXle H. The tread surface of each rail piece F has in its middle a trough-shaped notch 7. The distance between the notches f of two neighboring rail pieces, corresponds to the distance of the rollers D of a truck D D so that the two rollers of one truck can rest simultaneously in the notches of two neighboring rail pieces. Moreover, the angular distance between two neighboring notches f is preferably the same as the angle in which the top carriage N may be trained relative to the under carriage A, by means of its training gear. The object of this division of the distances of the notches will be eX- p-lained later on.

\Vhen erecting the foundation the members E are coupled together, as indicated in Fig. 2, and connected by means of the latches c Thereupon the trucks D D are placed on the rail pieces F a distance apart corresponding to the track of the gun carriage and inclined in the manner indicated in Fig. 1 with dot and dash lines. The trucks will be held in this position on the rail pieces F as a consequence of the shape of the rollers D shown on the drawing. The gun carriage wheels are now run up on the trucks D D until they rest on that particular part of the path (Z which is situated perpendicularly over the corresponding rail piece F. During this operation, the trucks D D assume their horizontal position. The spade B is lastly connected by means of the chains G with the foundation. The gun may then easily and conveniently be. traversed sidewise around the axis of the spade pivot b by pushing on the side of the carnage. The

rollers D of the trucks D D will then roll along the rail pieces F. The described foundation adds considerably to the anchoring of the gun carriage on the ground, as a consequence of its connection by means of the chains G between the spade and the foundation and also in consequence of the penetration of the side walls of the members E in the ground, so that the recoil of the gun carriage in firing receives considerable reslstance.

If it should be desired to fire against an overhead moving target (for instance an air get; and the rollers D of each truck D D are. made to rest in a pair of notches f of the rail pieces F. The target is thereupon followed through a sighting device (telescope) by giving the gun a corresponding elevation and training the top carriage bymeans of the training gear relative to the under carriage, so far as the training gear will permit (for instance 3 from its middle position). The gun carriage is thereupon traversed in the direction in which the target moves, on the foundation around the spade pivot Z2 so far that the rollers D of the trucks D D move out of the notches f in which they had been resting into the next notches. Simultaneously the top carriage is trained by means of the training gear as far as it will go back on its training plane. The consequence of this is that the gun will receive a direction through the traversing of the gun carriage on the foundation, that the target may still be seen in the field of the sighting device; as the angular distance of two neighboring notches 7 correspond to total angle of the training gear. From this new position of the gun, the target can now be followed through the training of the top carriage as regards the under carriage.

' The described foundation makes it possible to quickly follow the target.

WVe claim 1. A foundation for a traveling gun carriage comprising a circular track concentric with the training axis of the gun carriage and oscillating carriers for the gun carriage wheels, said carriers being adapted to move on said track and form a rest for said gun carriage wheels when putting the gun carriage on said carriers.

2. A foundation for a movable gun carriage comprising removable carriers for supporting the gun carriage wheels, and a circular track for said carriers, said track being concentric with the training axis of the gun carriage; said carriers constructed to have a limited oscillation at right angles to said track. 7 V

3. A foundation for a movable guncar riage comprising carriers for the gun carriage wheels, and a circular track for said carrier's, said track being concentric with the training axis of the gun carriage; said track being composed of a plurality of members shaped as boxes open on the underside, whereby the side walls of said boxes are enabled to penetrate the ground. I

4. A foundation for a movable gun car- .riage, comprising carriers for the gun carriage wheels, and a circular track for said carriers, said track being concentric with the training axis of the gun carriage; said track being composed of a plurality of box shaped members, link connection between said box shaped members, whereby said track is enabled to conform to the unevenness of the ground.

5. A foundation for a movable gun carriage comprising carriers forthe gun car riage wheels, and a circular track for said carriers, said track being concentric with the training axis of the gun carriage; the surface of said track being provided with notches and said carriers being provided with rollers; the distance between the two nelghboring notches being the same as the distance between said rollers.

6. A foundation for a movable gun carriage comprising carriers for the gun carriage wheels, and a circular track for said carriers, said track being concentric with the training axis of the gun carriage; said track being composed of a plurality of box shaped members; a rearward projection on each of said box shaped members and connecting members between each projection and the trail.

7 A foundation for a movable gun car-' carriers, said track being concentric with the training axis of the gun carriage said track being composed of a plurality of box shaped members; a spade pivoted atthe trail end of the carriage; a rearwardv projection on each of said box shaped members and a plurality of chains connecting said spade with each of said projections in the box shaped members, whereby a rigid connection is constituted between said spade and said box shaped members.

8. A foundation for a movable gun carriage comprising movable carriers for supporting the gun carriage wheels, and a circular track for said carriers, said track being concentric with the training axis of the gun carriage; the upper surface of said track being provided with radially disposed notches and said carriers having smooth faced rollers adapted to engage and sink down into the notches thereby providing the gun carriage with a plurality of fixed positions in azimuth.

9. A foundation for a movable gun carriage comprising movable carriers for supporting the gun carriage wheels, and a circular track for said carriers, said track being concentric with the training axis of the gun carriage; the upper surface of said track being provided with radially disposed notches and said carriers having rollers adapted to engage the notches thereby providing the gun carriage with a plurality of fixed positions in azimuth, said gun carriage permitting a limited training of the gun thereon and said notches having an annular spacing corresponding to said limited training, whereby the gun may be given a continuous training.

10. In a movable gun, the combination with the top carriage, of a main carriage having a device for extensive lateral train ing, means enabling limited lateral training of the top carriage relative to said main carriage, said device comprising a plurality of sub-stations permitting a predetermined, equal amount of training of the main carriage between said stations.

11. In a movable gun the combination with the top carriage, of a main carriage having a device for extensive lateral training of the main carriage, means enabling limited lateral training of the top carriage relative to the said main carriage, said device comprising a plurality of equidistant substations causing the extensive lateral training of the main carriage to be automatically interrupted at each of said stations.

12. In a movable gun, the combination with a top carriage, of a main carriage having a device for extensive lateral training of the main carriage, means enabling limited lateral training of the top carriage relative to said main carriage, said device comprising a plurality of equidistant substations causing the extensive lateral training of the main carriage to be automatically interrupted at each of said stations, the angular distances between said stations corresponding to the maximum permissible limited training of the top carriage relative to the main carriage.

13. A portable foundation for a traveling gun carriage comprising a circular track concentric with the training axis of the gun carriage and carriers for the gun carriage wheels, said carriers being adapted to move upon said track and form a rest for said gun carriage Wheels when putting the gun carriage on said carriers.

The foregoing specification signed at Barmen, Germany, this 16th day of April, 1912.

WALTER HEILEMANN. it. s] HEINRICH KANONENBERG. [a s] WVitnesses:

HELEN NUFER, ALBERT NUFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

